


The Spirit of Giving

by Pokeluv101



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22390174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeluv101/pseuds/Pokeluv101
Summary: When Kuro pickpockets a man’s wallet, he didn’t expect Mahiru to invite him to dinner. (KuroMahi, Modern AU)
Relationships: Kuro | Sleepy Ash/Shirota Mahiru
Kudos: 53





	The Spirit of Giving

Most of the volunteers at the soup kitchen had already returned home for the holidays. Mahiru was the only who stayed behind to wash the dishes. While a few offered to stay and help him, he insisted they should be with their family. The holidays were approaching and he thought that people should be spend it with loved ones. With that thought, he took out his phone.

Mahiru scrolled through his texts but his uncle hadn’t returned his messages yet. He considered his uncle a father to him and he was grateful that he adopted him after his mother died. Yet, his job kept his uncle busy and they rarely saw each other over the holiday. That hadn’t changed after Mahiru became an adult. He pushed aside his lingering loneliness and focused on the dishes in front of him.

There was a knock on the backdoor and Mahiru questioned if one of the volunteers had returned. He assumed someone forgot something and came back. When Mahiru opened the door, he found Kuro. He knew him well because his family would often visit the soup kitchen. Kuro would offer to help clean up after closing in exchange for bringing leftovers home for his family. Mahiru knew how much he cared for his siblings and worked hard to support them.

“Hello, Kuro. I haven’t seen you in a few days and it has been lonely without my cleanup partner. Have you been busy with commissions?” He said and smiled warmly at him. Kuro wished he could do the same. Mahiru read his expression and lightly waved him into the kitchen. “Did something happen, Kuro? If you need help, I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Lily was sick and I’ve been so busy taking care of him that I forgot to prepare something for Christmas dinner. Do you have any soup leftover that I can take home?” Kuro asked but the guilt that passed through Mahiru’s eyes already gave him his answer. He groaned softly and tried to think of what he should do. Most stores were closed and he was a terrible cook.

“We ran out of soup. I’m so sorry, Kuro.” Mahiru placed his hand on his arm. Despite all the struggles the family had, they were close and loving. He thought they deserved a warm Christmas feast and an idea came to him. “Is Lily feeling well enough to leave the house?”

“His fever broke this morning but I should go back home and check on him. I’ll find a way to make Christmas happen so don’t worry about me. There should be a restaurant open even if it’s Christmas. Happy holidays, Mahiru.” He waved to him before he stepped outside. He could see that Mahiru wanted to help him but he left before he could offer. Kuro didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness.

He took out his phone and debated what he should do. He could search for a restaurant but he doubted he could pay for the meal. A large sigh escaped him and Kuro started to walk home. Hopefully, they had enough food to throw something together. He didn’t know what he would tell his siblings though.

A group of people caught his attention and Kuro turned towards the crowd. A few men were speaking and he knew that they were wealthy from their clothes. He couldn’t help but remember the days he was forced to pickpocket money to support his family. He was only a teenager then and he stopped the moment he found a proper job.

“Troublesome,” Kuro muttered to himself. He shook the memories from his mind and walked away. He glanced back to the men and he thought of his siblings’ smiles. The men were wealthy and they wouldn’t miss a few hundred dollars. With the money, he could buy a hearty meal for his family. He hadn’t pick pocketed someone in ten years so he hoped he wouldn’t get caught.

Kuro took a deep breath and turned back towards the men. He kept his eyes lowered and he did his best not to draw attention to himself. As he approached them, he studied which one would be the best to steal from. One of the men wore a long jacket and Kuro could see the outline of a wallet in his pocket. He purposely bumped into him and slipped his wallet from his pocket.

“Sorry,” He spoke in a deeper voice and hid the wallet behind his back. Kuro tucked the wallet into his sleeve before he quickly walked past them. He waited until he was a small distance from them and tucked the wallet into his pocket. He felt guilty but he told himself that it was to feed his family.

“Hey, where’s my wallet?” He heard the man shout behind him. Kuro cursed under his breath but he forced himself not to run. He couldn’t call too much attention to himself. He walked quicker and kept his eyes forward. The men yelled for him to stop but Kuro ignored them, praying that they meant someone else. He turned into the alley to slip away from them.

He ran into a person and his heart stopped when he saw that it was Mahiru. Kuro felt a hand on his shoulder and he was forced to turn around. The three men stood in front of them and he doubted he could fight them. He didn’t want to endanger Mahiru by fighting either. “You stole my wallet!”

“Excuse me!” Mahiru forced his way in front of Kuro to defend him from the men. “I don’t know why you think my friend stole your wallet but I can assure you this is a misunderstanding. Kuro’s a good man who would never steal. Thinking simply, I can prove his innocence as well. Give me your jacket and turn out your jean’s pockets, Kuro.”

“What?” He hesitated to give Mahiru his jacket. The faith and determination in his brown eyes stabbed at Kuro’s heart. He didn’t want to disappoint him and break his trust. As Kuro slowly took off his jacket, his mind raced to think of a way to throw away the wallet without any of them noticing. With so many eyes on him, he knew it would be impossible.

Mahiru took his jacket and Kuro closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see the expression he would make once he found the wallet. He was shocked when Mahiru said, “The only wallet here is this black one and it has Kuro’s ID in it so you can’t claim that it’s yours. You can search his jacket if you want too. You three should be ashamed of yourselves to accuse my friend of stealing your wallet on Christmas.”

After the chastising, Mahiru grabbed Kuro’s hand and started to take him out of the alley. He paused for a moment and pointed to something in the snow. Mahiru looked back to the man over his shoulder. “May I ask you if your wallet is red, Sir? There’s a red wallet right there. It must’ve fallen out of your pocket and you assumed he took it.”

Kuro could only stare at the wallet in shock. He was certain that he hadn’t dropped the wallet while he was running. He didn’t know how the wallet appeared in the snow but he considered it a miracle. While he was still lost in thought, Mahiru took him into the soup kitchen. He looked through the window and saw the men leave.

Once they were alone, Kuro said: “Thank you for standing up for me, Mahiru. I don’t deserve it though. The truth is, I did—”

“I already know that you stole the wallet, Kuro.” His whispered words made Kuro turn sharply. Mahiru smiled at him and met his eyes. He walked in front of Kuro and placed his hand on his shoulder. “I couldn’t let you get arrested on Christmas. Your siblings need you as well, Kuro. I know you’re a good man and you likely only wanted money to help them. I had to save you.”

“Were you the one who put the wallet in the snow? But how?” Kuro asked. Mahiru merely smiled and brushed his fingers over his bangs. He tucked his hair behind his ear revealed a silver spoon when he took his hand back. The shock on his face made Mahiru chuckle.

“Have I ever told you that I was a part time magician when I was a teenager? I’m pretty good at sleight of hand magic where I can take things and make them reappear.” Mahiru placed the spoon back into the drawer. “I wish you would’ve waited a few more minutes before you decided to go pickpocketing. I would’ve had the chance to invite you and your family for dinner.”

“Thank you for the rescue and the offer, Mahiru, but you don’t need to invite us to dinner.” Kuro shook his head. “I promise I’ll find a legal way to get money for Christmas dinner. You don’t need to worry about us.”

“If you think I’m only inviting you to dinner because of pity, you’re wrong. My uncle is coming home for the holidays and I made a lot of food. Too much, actually. It’s far too much for us to eat and you know how I feel about food going to waste.” Mahiru leaned against the counter and reached across to take Kuro’s hand. “Will you spend Christmas with me?”

“I would love to.” No other answer could make Mahiru smile wider.

* * *

“I think this is the most festive Christmas I’ve ever had. Thank you for helping me clean up.” Mahiru spoke to Kuro in a soft voice because everyone was sleeping in the living room. The party stretched late into the night and Mahiru suggested they sleep over. He didn’t want them to drive through the icy road on a dark night. “I’m glad I have enough blankets for everyone.”

“I should be the one to thank you, Mahiru.” Kuro said. “I’ll find a way to repay you.”

“Think of this night as a Christmas gift from me to you. Though, I wouldn’t mind hot chocolate in the morning if you want a way to repay me.” Mahiru dried his hands once he finished washing the dishes. “It’s late so we should both get to bed. I already put a set of blankets in the living room for you. I’m sorry I don’t have enough beds for everyone.”

“My special talent is that I can sleep anywhere.” He joked and made Mahiru giggle softly. They walked to the living room where his siblings were already asleep. He didn’t turn on the light or else he would wake them. Kuro pushed a chair closer to a piano to create more room for them to sleep. He noticed a few photographs on the piano and asked: “Is that you’re mother? She’s beautiful.”

“She was.” Mahiru’s smile was a mix of nostalgia and melancholy. He brushed his finger over the keys but he didn’t play a note. “This was actually her piano. When I was a kid, I would get so excited for Santa to come that I couldn’t go to bed. She would play _Silent Night_ to help me fall asleep. Those are my fondest Christmas memories. I tried to learn how to play but I have no rhythm.”

Kuro sat on the small piano bench. It was dark so he couldn’t see the keys well. He pressed down on each key until he found the right note. Then, he started to play _Silent Night_ for him. The familiar song filled Mahiru’s heart with warmth. He sat next to him and let the song wash over him. He was spellbound and he didn’t immediately speak once Kuro finished playing.

“Are you that shocked that I know how to play?” Kuro asked. He awkwardly played another song to fill the silence.

“No. Your song was so beautiful, Kuro.” The honesty in his voice made Kuro’s heart skip and he missed a few notes. Mahiru didn’t notice and smiled at him in the dark. Kuro was certain that the way he beamed could brighten the night. “I never knew you were so talented.”

“You can come listen to me play whenever you want. I play at a few bars. The hours aren’t the best but the tips are good.” Kuro enjoyed the piano but he didn’t want to be on a large stage like Licht. He would rather play for the people he loved than a crowd of strangers. “You can make free requests, Mahiru.”

“Can I hear _Silent Night_ again?” Kuro nodded and Mahiru hummed along to his piano. He felt relaxed and sleepy so he leaned his head on his shoulder. He wanted to nestle into his warmth but he stopped himself. “We’ve known each other for a long time but we never had the chance to talk like this. Maybe we can get to know each other more over another dinner with just the two of us.”

Kuro stopped playing and Mahiru looked up at him. “Like a date?”

“Only if you want to.” Mahiru blushed faintly. “Are you free on Friday? I know this place with a great after holiday meal deal.”


End file.
